I spent the weekend in Hanoi this week rather than heading off to a random place in Vietnam. Friday was the last day of term for my full time class so I had a pretty easy day on Friday. On the last day we show a film at a cinema so beforehand I went for lunch at a nice Italian restaurant nearby. Bizzarely they were playing an obscure kiwi song whilst I was there. When I went back a couple of days later they were playing Crowded House - the place must be run by a kiwi!

After lunch on Friday I then had a (soft) drink with the fellow teachers outide the cinema then we watched Happy Feet with the students. I then got a lift back to work woth Alison where I had to give the students their certificates and have a little party with them before sending them off on their way. I had to teach my evening class but it was only for two hours. After work I went for dinner with Alison, Caroline, Air and Calder as we got paid on Friday. We went to a really nice Japanese restaurant and had some sushi and other random dishes, and then we went to the bar near me, Ete to have a cocktail or three. It was a nice night!

On Saturday I got up kinda late and then made my way into the Old Quarter to go to Le Pub for a nice Western breakfast. I then made my way down to the cinema for a bit of Western escapism. Before the film started there was a ad for road safety with a family of three on a motorbike, with the kid standing at the front without a helmet. They got to a red light and stopped at the white line then slowly edged forward into the intersection then a truck came out of nowhere and crashed into them killing the kid. The entire audience gasped in disbelief as if it had never occured to them that going through a red light and riding helmetless might not be a great idea. That is the thing that annoys me most about Vietnam - their complete inability to drive safely on the roads and consider the consequences of their retarded actions.

After the film I went back up to the Old Quarter and had a look at pretty scarves, then I went to a cafe for a drink. Whilst there I flicked through an English language newspaper and saw an ad for a day of music in Hanoi with a kiwi band Minuit. That excited me greatly as I miss live music! That might be the week Im going tp Laos but if I'm in Hanoi I think I'm going to go along as there are a few other bands and DJs. I then met some history people from Sussex, Nick and Katherine, and we went for dinner at a place called Bia Minh with beer for 40p a glass! Met some people I worked with there too and they went on to a place called Green Mango for an open mic night. We went along too but it looked a bit pricey for our liking so instead we went to Le Pub and had some cocktails. It was another fun night and again I got home after curfew and had to get down my lane in the pitch black. Bizzarely there were a bunch of construction workers dumping carts of sand and pebbles for their work but they were doing it in the pitch black. It's crazy!!

Yesterday when I got up I had to meet potential new housemates and we decided on the one we wanted then I had to head back into the Old Quarter to pick up some badges I'd ordered the other day. I got a badge from each country I've been to and I'm going to get some fabric to sew them onto. I didn't feel up to much more the rest of the day so I watched movies and spoe to people on Skype. Finally got to talk to Nina which was nice.

I have to work this evening and every evening this week which is why I didnt go anywhere this weekend. I might be going for a day trip to Halong Bay next weekend though with Zoe as she is leaving on Sunday to go to Thailand. I need to try and sort out my trip to Laos too this week. Yay travel!